October 06, 2009

Orlando Cabrera grateful for White Sox's late surge

MINNEAPOLIS - Orlando Cabrera's one-year stint with the White Sox in 2008 was less than spectacular because of friction with some teammates that included a dugout dispute with Jermaine Dye.

But Cabrera expressed his appreciation for the Sox's effort last weekend in beating Detroit twice that enabled Minnesota to force a tiebreaker game Tuesday at the Metrodome.

"I tip my cap to the White Sox," Cabrera said inside the Twins' clubhouse. "The reason we’re here is because they beat Detroit. And just to see the professionalism for them to show up in those games and beat Detroit, it made me know I wasn’t wrong about those guys. They love to play and love to win. Unfortunately for them, they had some injuries and couldn’t capitalize on a good season. But they’re great people.”

Cabrera also was grateful for a July deadline trade with Oakland that brought him to Minnesota and allowed him to experience the nuances of the Metrodome that drove him and his teammates crazy while with the Sox.

"Remember last year when we came here, they swept us," said Cabrera, referring to a three-game sweep in late September of 2008. "It’s a magical place. I’m on this side, and we’ve taken advantage of that.

"People really hate to come here. It’s the Dome, the background. You can’t see that well. The whole thing. But for us, it’s home and you take advantage of it and use it against them as many times as you can.”

This marks Cabrera's second consecutive year he has played in a tiebreaker game. He went 1-for-4 against the Twins last year in the tiebreaker game.

“Oh my God," Cabrera said. "I think the intensity is just like a World Series. You have only one opportunity to win the ballgame. The excitement is at the highest level.”

Comments

I agree with Cabrera 100%. The White Sox are a huge reason why we (The Twins) are in the playoffs. As are the Royals. I am a Twin fan through and through, but I am also an AL Central fan in general. What other division has teams like us? Gardy, Ozzie, and Jimmy are three of the best managers in the game, and you have to respect the way Kansas City plays until the last pitch, even though they are a last place team. I'm forgetting about Cleavland though which is EASY to do.......wah wah wah!